Footwear Designing Tool

ABSTRACT

Computer based systems and methods for designing (e.g., customization) of consumer products, articles of footwear, knit footwear uppers, and the like. In some embodiments, a user may generate and/or modify footwear designs using a footwear design interface. Additionally or alternatively, the footwear design interface may be configured to simulate the layout and/or operation of a knitting machine to provide the user with the impression of physically designing and/or manufacturing an article of footwear. In other embodiments, the system may disallow prospective footwear design changes based on limitations associated with inventory availability and the footwear design characteristics.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 62/015698, entitled “FOOTWEAR DESIGNING TOOL,”filed Jun. 23, 2014, which is expressly incorporated herein by referencein their entireties for any and all non-limiting purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The technologies disclosed relate to systems and methods used to designfootwear. More particularly, the technologies disclosed relate tomethods and systems for designing footwear, including footwear uppers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional articles of athletic footwear include two primary elements,an upper and a sole structure. The upper provides a covering for thefoot that securely receives and positions the foot with respect to thesole structure. In addition, the upper may have a configuration thatprotects the foot and provides ventilation, thereby cooling the foot andremoving perspiration. The sole structure is secured to a lower surfaceof the upper and is generally positioned between the foot and theground. In addition to attenuating ground reaction forces and absorbingenergy (i.e., imparting cushioning), the sole structure may providetraction and control potentially harmful foot motion, such as overpronation. Accordingly, the upper and the sole structure operatecooperatively to provide a comfortable structure that is suited for awide variety of ambulatory activities, such as walking and running

The upper forms a void on the interior of the footwear for receiving thefoot. The void has the general shape of the foot, and access to the voidis provided by an ankle opening. Accordingly, the upper extends over theinstep and toe areas of the foot, along the medial and lateral sides ofthe foot, and around the heel area of the foot. A lacing system is oftenincorporated into the upper to selectively increase the size of theankle opening and permit the wearer to modify certain dimensions of theupper, particularly girth, to accommodate feet with varying proportions.In addition, the upper may include a tongue that extends under thelacing system to enhance the comfort of the footwear, and the upper mayinclude a heel counter to limit movement of the heel.

Various materials may be utilized in manufacturing the upper. Someuppers are formed of knit material, such as thread and/or yarn. Knituppers have appearances that differ from the appearances of uppersformed of other materials like leather, synthetic leather, and rubber.During the design and manufacturing of a knit upper it is common for adesigner to create a design and then for one or more other people toprogram a knitting machine to manufacture the upper. The separation ofparts of the design and manufacturing process can result in thedevelopment and manufacturing of several uppers before the designerapproves a design that can be manufactured by a knitting machine.Multiple rounds or cycles of creating many knit uppers that don't meet adesigner's view of the design imagined can be costly in time andresources.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for systems and methods that canallow designers, during the design process, the ability toelectronically visualize knit uppers that more realistically embody amanufactured knit upper, so as to allow for timely adjusting designsprior to manufacturing. Such functionality can drastically improve thedesign to manufacturing process in knit engineering.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One or more of the above-mentioned needs in the art are satisfied by thedisclosed systems and methods for designing footwear, including footwearuppers.

In certain aspects of this disclosure, the present technologiesdisclosed can be partially or wholly implemented with acomputer-readable medium, for example, by storing computer-executableinstructions or modules, or by utilizing computer-readable datastructures.

Of course, the methods and systems of the above-referenced embodimentsmay also include other additional elements, steps, computer-executableinstructions, or computer- readable data structures.

The details of these and other embodiments of the present technologiesdisclosed are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the descriptionbelow. Other features and advantages of the technologies disclosed willbe apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present technologies disclosed are illustrated by way of example andnot limited in the accompanying figures in which like reference numeralsindicate similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a system for designing footwear, in accordance withone or more aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2A illustrates an example interface for designing footwear, inaccordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2B illustrates a rendering of a footwear design in accordance withone or more aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2C illustrates an example interface for designing footwear, inaccordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2D-2E illustrate a rendering of a footwear design in accordancewith one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2F illustrates a portion of an example interface for designingfootwear, in accordance with one or more aspects of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example interface for designing footwear, inaccordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a method for designing footwear, in accordance withone or more aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In general, as described above, some aspects of the present disclosurerelate to systems and methods for designing consumer products, such asarticles of footwear.

Any desired type of footwear design data may be controlled, altered, orcustomized by a user of systems and methods according to aspects of thepresent disclosure, such as: a color of a portion of the article offootwear (e.g., the various upper portions or elements). If desired,systems and methods according to at least some examples of the presentdisclosure further may allow a user to select from a variety ofmaterials or other characteristics for various portions of the articleof footwear, such as different upper material(s); upper thickness(es);upper stiffness characteristics; arch support characteristics;impact-attenuation characteristics; size, orientation, and/or locationof openings or windows in the upper; patterns of openings provided inthe uppers; laser cutting designs and/or characteristics; laser etchingdesigns and/or characteristics; etc.

While described above in conjunction with design of articles offootwear, aspects of the present disclosure also may be used for designof other consumer products, such as articles of apparel, etc.

In the footwear example, a user may be permitted to select variousfeatures of the footwear and manipulate the visual image of the footwearfrom a software application that is displayed on the user interface ordisplay screen. The user interface may display one or more tools forchanging aspects of or otherwise manipulating various design data of thefootwear, as described herein.

Users may use computing devices to access the design application and/orwebsite. The computing devices establish a communication channel withina network and communicate with a messaging server system (comprising oneor more server computers) that provide interactive design features usedto change the design of a product. As will be disclosed in more detailbelow, any desired communication link and communication protocol may beused to provide and control the data exchange between computing devicesand the system. Users may use a computing device to connect to theonline design system via a network, such as the Internet, a local areanetwork (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or the like. Users may connecttheir computing devices to the system via any communication channel,such as website portals and applications from various internal and/orexternal sites that link to the portal of the manufacturer.

Any desired types of computing devices may be used without departingfrom the present disclosure, such as any computing device capable ofestablishing a networked connection and/or a peer-to-peer connection andcapable of providing the necessary display, user interface, and inputcapabilities, as will be described in more detail below. Some morespecific examples of computing devices that may be used in systems andmethods in accordance with at least some examples of the presentdisclosure include, but are not limited to: desktop computers, personalcomputers, laptop computers, palmtop computers, handheld computers,cellular telephones, any other mobile devices or smartphones, personaldigital assistants, computer workstations, televisions, and the like.

Computing devices that may be used in systems and methods in accordancewith examples of the present disclosure may include one or more inputdevices and a data processing system (e.g., including one or moremicroprocessors). Examples of input devices that may be included withthe computing devices include, but are not limited to conventional inputdevices, such as: a keyboard (hard keyboard or soft keyboard); a mouse,trackball, rollerball, touchpad, or other pointing device; a stylus orother pen-type input device (e.g., for a tablet PC type computingdevice); a disk drive; a USB port; a network connection; a joystick typecontroller; a telephone connection; an Ethernet connection; voicerecognition capabilities; etc. Also, the computing devices may have“touch screen” capabilities, such that a user input data into thecomputing device by physically touching the screen of the display withthe user's fingers or a selection device, such as a stylus.Additionally, any desired type of display device may be provided for usein conjunction with the computing devices of systems and methodsaccording to aspects of the present disclosure, including displaydevices integrated with the computing device itself or display devicesseparate from the computing devices but in communication therewith, suchas projector displays, separate monitor displays.

FIG. 1 illustrates a system for designing and manufacturing footwearuppers. A computing device, such as design computer 102 may beprogrammed with software modules that perform various functions whenexecuted by at least one processor. Software includescomputer-executable instructions that may be stored on at least onetangible non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a solid stateor magnetic memory.

The design computer 102 may be connected to a network (not shown) in anydesired manner without departing from aspects of the present disclosure,including in conventional manners that are known and used in the art,such as any conventional wired or wireless connection and using anynetwork connection protocol. Systems and methods in accordance withexamples of the present disclosure also will provide a user interfacedisplay on the user's computing device. This interface will allow theuser to see the subject matter of the design effort and will allow theuser to introduce his/her input to the design effort. The userinterfaces on various devices will be provided and controlled by theuser's computing device and/or by the server system, and data forgenerating, maintaining, and receiving input through the user interfaceswill be generated and provided via computer readable media included aspart of or associated with the computing device and/or the serversystem. Examples of such computer readable media include, but are notlimited to: computer-readable memories, both internal to a computer(e.g., hard drives) or separable from the computer (such as disks, solidstate or flash memory devices, data available over a networkedconnection, etc.), including any type of computer readable media that isconventionally known and used in the computer arts.

A color library 111 may contain various color values. Individual colorvalues may be arranged in a database, such as a FileMaker Pro database.In one embodiment, the color values have four channels such as CMYKcolor values. In another embodiment, the color values have threechannels such as RGB color values. The individual color values maycorrespond to the colors of various materials (e.g., yarn) that are insupply or available to the manufacturer of the footwear upper. Asanother example, heather library 110 may be connected to design computer102 via the Internet. The heather library may contain various heatherpatterns that may be created by one or more knitting machines availableto the manufacturer of the footwear upper. A lasts library 112 maycontain lasts of various shapes and forms. The last library may alsostore data files corresponding to base footwear designs. A gradinglibrary 113 may contain a collection of previously graded uppers. Thecollection may identify features of the footwear, such as locations ofstructures and other attributes along with modifications that were madeto grade a base design for use with a range of shoes sizes.

As will be described in more detail with respect to FIG. 2, designwebsites, interfaces, and/or applications as described herein maydisplay various patterns or models available for custom design, e.g., inone portion of an interface display. These various different models ofthe product (footwear) may include template or “base” models that areavailable for a user to select as part of the design process. Such“base” models or templates may be added to or changed based on theuser's selections during the design process.

Some of the components shown in FIG. 1 may communicate data to and fromdesign computer 102 during a design session. For example, UI 115 mayestablish a communication channel with design computer 102 to provide auser interface for customizing or modifying a footwear design. Asanother example, structure rules component 120 may provide designcomputer 102 with data relating to one or more structural rulesassociated with the physical and/or structural integrity required for afootwear upper to be manufactured and the corresponding base footweardesign. As will be discussed in more detail, these structural rules mayplace certain limitations on a user's ability to modify certain aspectsof the footwear design during a design session in order to maintain thestructural integrity of the footwear upper when manufactured and for useby a wearer. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the structuralrules associated with the physical and/or structural integrity requiredfor a footwear upper may vary based on the type of footwear (e.g.,running footwear, basketball footwear, football footwear, etc.).

Design computer 102 may contain various modules, including a designmodule 103 for processing various design changes made to a footweardesign via user interface 115. Design module 103 may also render imagesof the footwear design in accordance with the processed design changes.Design computer 102 may include a grading module 104 for processing anddetermining changes that may be applied to a footwear design based on agrading change (e.g., increase or decrease in footwear size). Forexample, grading module 104 may extract information associated with abase footwear design and compare that information to data stored ingrading library 113 to render a new base design for a different footweargrading. In some embodiments, grading module 104 may recommend one ormore design changes to a base footwear design in view of processedgrading information.

Design computer 102 may include a structural evaluation module 105 forprocessing data to determine whether design changes made to a footweardesign via user interface 115 are acceptable. For example, structuralevaluation module 105 may extract information associated with a basefootwear design and compare that information with data from structuralrules component 120 to determine whether a design change conforms to thepredetermined structural rules and/or physical limitations associatedwith the base footwear design and/or knitting machine used tomanufacture the footwear upper. In some aspects of the presentdisclosure, the evaluation module 105 may operatively communicate with adatabase (or other suitable form of storage) storing a plurality ofpredetermined structural integrity characteristics associated with eachof base footwear designs available for selection by the user.

Design computer 102 may include a bill of materials module 106 forprocessing data relating to the availability of the various materialsthat may be utilized for manufacturing footwear upper 140 in accordancewith the footwear design. Design computer 102 may extract informationassociated with a base footwear design and compare that information withdata relating to a current supply or availability of material 130 todetermine whether a requested design change is acceptable.

Design computer 102 may also include a cost estimation module 107 forprocessing data relating to the cost of manufacturing upper 140 based onthe footwear design. Design computer 102 may extract informationassociated with a footwear design and compare that information to datacollected by and/or stored in cost estimation module 107 to calculate acost to manufacture footwear upper 140 based on said footwear design,and to determine whether the cost exceeds any predefined costthresholds. The cost estimation module 107 may recommend one or moredesign changes to the footwear design to reduce the estimated cost belowthe predefined cost threshold.

Design computer 102 may also include a time estimation module 108 forprocessing data relating to the amount of time needed to manufactureupper 140 based on the footwear design. Design computer 102 may extractinformation associated with a footwear design and compare thatinformation to data collected by and/or stored in time estimation module108 to calculate an amount of time required to manufacture footwearupper 140 based on the footwear design, and to determine whether thetime exceeds any predefined time thresholds. The time estimation module108 may recommend one or more design changes to the footwear design toreduce the estimated manufacturing time below the predefined timethreshold. In some aspects of the present disclosure, an interface orsub-interface may be displayed to a user during a design sessiondepicting the amount of time required to manufacture the footwear upperin view of the current footwear design. As the user modifies thefootwear design, the interface (or sub-interface) may be updated toreflect an updated amount of time required to manufacture the footwearupper.

Design computer 102 may also include a variety of interface units anddrives for reading and writing data or files. Exemplary interface unitsand drives include a keyboard, pointing device, microphone, pen device,touchscreen or other input devices.

As discussed above, some of the components shown in FIG. 1 may beconnected to each other via a network, such as a local area network(LAN) or a wide area network (WAN). For example, color library 111 maybe connected to design computer 102 via the Internet. In anotherexample, design computer 102 may transmit knitting instructions toknitting machine 135 in the form of an encrypted file via the Internet.The system shown in FIG. 1 may include conventional network components(not shown), such as switches, wireless access points and routers toconnect the components shown.

Various features of user interfaces generated by a computing device foraccepting user input and providing a user with information regarding thedesign will be described in more detail below. Those skilled in the artwill appreciate that the following description and the attached drawingsmerely represent examples of potential features, functionality,arrangement of interface components, orientation of interfacecomponents, combinations of interface components, and the like, ofsystems, methods, and user interfaces in accordance with one or moreaspects of the present disclosure.

Additional aspects of the present disclosure relate to user interfacesprovided on computing devices that allow users to design articles offootwear (or other consumer products). The user interfaces may includeelements and features that allow use and/or activation of any of thefeatures and/or functionality described above and/or any of the featuresand/or functionality described in more detail below.

As some more specific examples, aspects of the present disclosure relateto computer readable media including computer executable instructionsstored thereon for generating a user interface for a footwear designsession on a computer controlled display device. This user interface mayinclude, for example: (a) a first display portion including at least onerendering of an article of footwear; (b) one or more selector elements(such as a pointer or cursor) that allow a first user to select aportion of the article of footwear; (c) an indicator indicating whatportion(s) of the article of footwear has been selected via anindividual selector element (such as text, icons, pictures, animations,etc.); and (d) a first element for producing a change in an appearanceof the rendering of the article of footwear in the first display portionbased on input generated by the first user. The first element (or atleast some element of the interface) may include features like a colorpalette or color menu that allows users to change a color of a selectedportion of the article of footwear and/or a component of the article offootwear (e.g., knit material); one or more orientation elements thatallow users to change an orientation of the article of footwear asrendered in the first display portion; one way, two way, or multi-wayuser communication elements or features (such as textual input anddisplay panel(s), instant messaging capabilities, audio and/or videocommunication capabilities, etc.); etc. The user interface further mayinclude an input portion through which the first user can input dataused to set up a collaborative footwear design session with a seconduser (or another user).

Given this general background and information, more detailed informationregarding specific examples of systems, methods, computer-readablemedia, and user interfaces in accordance with the present disclosurewill be described in more detail below. It should be understood thatthis more detailed description relates to various specific examples ofthe present disclosure and their features and functionality, and thisdescription should not be construed as limiting the scope of the presentdisclosure.

In at least some aspects of the present disclosure, a design session maybe launched or initiated from a user's on-line shopping venture. FIG. 2Aillustrates an example interface for modifying a footwear design inaccordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure. As notedin more detail below, during the creation of a base footwear design, auser may modify the base footwear design based on a variety of userselections during the design process, including the creation of certaindesign features. After a base footwear design has been created and/orselected, the user may customize the footwear design based on a varietyof user selections, including the selection of knit structures,materials and colors that may be applied to the footwear design.

Initiation of a design session may result in the launch of acustomization webpage or website or a customization application programor software, e.g., to create an example user interface screen 200 likethat shown in FIG. 2A. Also, initiation of a design session may resultin generation of a Customization Session Identification Number (e.g., aunique “Session ID”) for the session (e.g., by a server or othercomputing device that may be in control of the session and the transferof data relating to the session).

In some aspects of the present disclosure, user interface 200 may begenerated by computing device 102. User interface 200 may be configuredto have the same functionality as user interface 115. User interface 200may include various customization features, in any desired arrangement,orientation, or display, without departing from the scope of the presentdisclosure.

As will be discussed in further detail with reference to FIG. 3, theuser interface 200 may correspond to and/or simulate the physical layoutand operation of knitting machine 135 so as to provide the user with theimpression that they are physically designing and/or manufacturing thefootwear upper in accordance with the footwear design. Such a layout isintended to ease the cognitive burden on the user when associating therelationship between the availability and/or supply of material 130, thephysical limitations of knitting machine 135 used to manufacturefootwear upper 140, and the limitations on design choices in order tomaintain the structural integrity of upper 140.

The software for generating the user interface may reside on computerreadable media present on or available to the computing device or serversystem. Alternatively, if desired, the software, or at least someportion(s) thereof, may reside on more than one computing device orserver system. The sever system may be operated and maintained by thesame organization(s) or individual(s) that operate and maintain thecomputing device and/or network, or the server system may be operated,controlled, and maintained by a party separate from any or all of theseentities. As some more specific examples, the server system may beoperated and maintained (and the user interface software also may beoperated and maintained) by one or more entities whose products arebeing marketed through the design systems and methods described below(e.g., a manufacturer, a vendor selected by a manufacturer or retailer,etc.).

In some aspects of the present disclosure, and as will be described inmore detail below, the user interface 200 may include a portion in whichthe product being customized appears (e.g., portions 201, 202), a “colorpalette” portion for selecting colors for various parts (e.g., portion210), one or more controllers for changing the appearance or view of theproduct in portions 201 (such as rotation controls, zoom-in, zoom-out,change in views shown, etc.), an “undo” control (to eliminate the lastaction or design change), a “redo” control (to re-do a previously erasedaction or design change), a cost information panel, and a product designinformation panel. While the product design information may be providedin any desired manner without departing from aspects of the presentdisclosure, the product design information panel (not shown) may provideinformation about the various portions of the article of footwear beingdesigned, such as color information, size information, materialinformation, etc.

A user interface, such as user interface 115 or user interface 200, maydisplay various lasts that are available when creating the base footweardesign, e.g., in a portion of the interface display, such as display201. The various lasts may be retrieved from a last library, such aslibrary 112. When a user selects a last, the user interface may providethe user with an option to create a “base” footwear design correspondingto the selected last (e.g., same or similar size, shape, form, etc.).Such base footwear designs may be edited or modified based on user'sselections during the design process. For example, the user may draw orpaint a variety of features onto the base footwear design to delineate a“styling” of the footwear design. As will be appreciated, the userinterface may provide the user with a variety of tools to create and/ormodify various features of the base footwear design. A user may store acreated and/or modified base footwear design in memory.

If desired, the user may retrieve from memory a predefined base footweardesign. For example, base footwear designs may be stored in data filesin the memory of design computer 102. These base footwear designs mayinclude footwear designs that were previously created by the user orother users, and that are available for the user to select as the firststep of the design process.

The base footwear design serves as the blueprint for a knitting machine,such as knitting machine 135, to manufacture a footwear upper. As willbe discussed further below, each base footwear design may include datadefining various structural and/or physical limitations of thecorresponding footwear upper, such as upper 140, that may limit a user'sdesign choices. Accordingly, while a user may modify or edit a basefootwear design during the design process, certain design choices may berestricted during the design process or must be accepted by designcomputer 102 before the design change will take effect. Such designlimitations provide a “real-world” perspective for a user or designerwhen making design choices that may affect the manufacturing process ofthe footwear upper.

The user interface provides a realistic basis for delineatinglimitations in certain design choices due to a variety of factors,including the physical limitations of a knitting machine. For example, auser may be limited to the amount of detail (e.g., point size of adigital paintbrush) that may be used when creating or modifying featuresof a base footwear design because the user interface may not permit theuser to design features that are too small to knit by a knittingmachine, or that may be unrealistic given limitations during themanufacturing process (e.g., cost, time, etc). In one embodiment eachstitch of a knit pattern cannot be displayed by fewer than one pixel.This “real-world” perspective provided by the user interface may createefficiencies and reduce the amount of work required during the designand manufacturing process of footwear uppers, may result in fasteriterations of footwear designs created by a user during the design andmanufacturing process, and may enable more accurate samples of footweardesigns that are created during the design and manufacturing process.

Other features and functionality may be provided in the user interface,if desired, without departing from the present disclosure. The followingfeatures and functionality may be provided in some manner via theinterface: the ability to directly return to a previously viewedinterface screen, the ability to save the design, the ability to printthe design, the ability to store this design at a location for sharingwith others (which may launch an interface that allows one to identifyspecific persons, classes of persons, or groups (public or private) withwhom the design may be shared), the ability to “return to the default”design (e.g., to the blank product on which the customization processwas initiated for this product or some other intermediate default design(optionally selected and stored by the user), and the ability to exit orquit the session.

Another feature that may be included in the computer interface is a“last action” capability, which allows users to view the last severalsteps in the design session (and possibly to see a list of all steps inthe design session), more details regarding the individually displayedstep (e.g., more specifics about the color, position, size, material ororientation selections, etc.), or the like. The “last action” tool mayallow users to select any desired individual step for further action,such as an “undo” action (to undo that step), a “view” change action(e.g., to cause the interface to highlight the change made at that stepin the user's views), a reselection action (e.g., to cause the interfaceto reselect the same part for further action), etc.

Another potential feature that may be included in systems, methods, andcomputer interfaces in accordance with at least some examples of thepresent disclosure includes a “cost variations” icon (although otherinterface elements may be used to activate this functionality). Userselection of this interface element may provide users with informationand an opportunity to change various features of the designed shoe toeither increase or decrease its costs (optionally, with little or noperformance change, although any anticipated effect on performance maybe displayed for the user to consider). For example, interaction withthis interface element may provide the costs associated with a designchange made to the base footwear design. As a more specific example, achange in material and/or arrangement of materials for some portion(s)of the upper may make the shoe more comfortable, more stable, and/orotherwise affect its performance characteristics. As another example,the interface may advise the user of the costs associated with addinganother design element or feature to the shoe (e.g., changing the knitstructure of the upper, adding additional knit material types or colorsto the upper, etc.) or changing an existing design element or feature(e.g., changing sizes of various design elements, changing materials,etc.). The cost change associated with eliminating or modifying a designelement or feature also may be provided. Systems, methods, and computerinterfaces according to one or more aspects of the present disclosuremay display a list of various options to the user with the costdifferential associated therewith, or in some other manner make thistype of cost variation information available to the user.

Referring back to FIG. 2A, in this illustrated example, the userinterface 200 includes a display portion 201 in which a 3D view of thefootwear design appears, a display portion 202 in which a “lay-flat” 2Dview of the footwear design appears, a portion 219 representing the oneor more knit structures for the footwear design (e.g., knit structures221-223), a drop down listing 224 for selecting the knit structure, aportion 225 representing a “material swatch” that displays a textureimage representing the knit structure based on the one or more colorvalues selected for the material (e.g., yarn construction) comprisingthe knit structure, a grayscale 205 indicating where various knitstructures correspond to specific “zones” (or areas) on a mapping orrendered image of the base footwear design, a “color picker” or “colorpalette” portion 210 for selecting colors for the various materialsand/or knit structures that may comprise the footwear design.

The user interface may also include one or more drop-down listings 211for selecting the various color options (or color values) for the colorpalette, and a color vector 215 indicating which color options have beenassigned to one or more knit structures for the footwear design. Thecolor palette 210 may identify the various colors of knit materialsselected by the user to be incorporated in the footwear design. Forexample, as illustrated in FIG. 2, a first portion of color palette 210corresponding to menu 211 is green thus indicating that a green knitmaterial will be incorporated into the footwear design. Similarly, therespective color for each portion of the color palette may represent thecorresponding color of the knit material used for designing andmanufacturing the article of footwear (e.g., portion 212 indicates alight-green color has been selected; portion 213 indicates a red colorhas been selected; portion 214 indicates a yellow color has beenselected, etc.).

Changes to various portions of the footwear design may be made in anydesired manner without departing from the scope of the presentdisclosure. For example, a user might first use the pointer to “select”a knit structure associated with some specific zone (or area) of thebase footwear design. Once selected, the user can make changes to theknit structure. For example, to change color of the knit structure,first the user may move the pointer over the depiction of the desiredpart in the display portion (e.g., drop-down listing 211) and “click” amouse button (or other input device) to “select” that part. Thisselection action may cause the interface to display a listing ofavailable color options (e.g., color values) that may be applied to aknit structure. Each color option in the listing may also have aspecific color name or color reference number. In some aspects of thepresent invention, the system may limit the number of available colors(and/or other design choices) that may be applied to the footweardesign. Additionally or alternatively, this selection action may causethe interface to highlight a corresponding part of the footwear in somemanner, such as by enlarging it, coloring it differently, or by boldingthe external boundary of it.

When a color option has been selected, the user may associate the coloroption with a knit structure by drawing a color vector (e.g., colorvector 215) from a portion of the color palette (e.g., portion 214) to aknit structure. One or more color vectors may be drawn from a particularportion of the color palette to one or more knit structures in a mannerpermitted by the base footwear design without departing from the scopeof the present disclosure. A user may be limited to a predeterminednumber of color options that may be associated with a particular knitstructure based on rules provided by structural rules component 120, orother components in the system illustrated in FIG. 1. In some aspects ofthe present disclosure, a particular footwear design may be associatedwith particular structural rules based on the manufacturing process tocreate the article of footwear utilizing the footwear design. Forexample, the structural rules associated with a first footwear designtemplate may be configured to permit a knit structure to include apredetermined number of colors.

Another example feature of systems, methods, and computer interfaces inaccordance with at least some examples of the present disclosure relatesto a “cost” or “pricing” box. This element of the user interface tracksthe cost of the article of footwear in its present design state. As oneor more features of the shoe are designed or changed, this may cause thecost of the shoe to change somewhat (e.g., if more expensive materialsare used, if a large amount of customization is requested, if additionalmanufacturing steps or different manufacturing techniques are required,etc.). The interface may maintain a price display so that the user canbe aware of which changes to the design have caused a shift in price,and the user may be better able to control the final price of theproduct.

As noted above, the various color options available to a user in colorpalette 210 may correspond to the various material 130 (e.g., yarnconstruction) that are available for manufacturing footwear upper 140.Accordingly, a user may be limited to the number and/or types of coloroptions that may be used for a footwear design and/or associated with aparticular knit structure based on data provided by bill of materialsmodule 106, other components illustrated in FIG. 1, or another computingdevice.

User design choices may also be limited based on the time and/or costestimated to manufacture the upper in accordance with the correspondingfootwear design. After associating one or more color options with a knitstructure, the material swatch 225 may display a texture image for theknit structure showing the updated color effects. The user may have theoption of rendering an updated 2D view and 3D view of the footweardesign during the design session. This may be accomplished by selectinga “render” icon on interface 200 (not shown). Additionally oralternatively, the user interface may automatically update portions 201and 202 to display the footwear design with updated color effects andother design changes.

As another example, a user may have the option of changing the heatherpattern associated with a knit structure. The user may have the optionof selecting from one or more pre-defined heathers stored in heatherlibrary 110, or the user may design new heather patterns for the knitstructure. To change the heather pattern for the knit structure, theuser may move the pointer over the depiction of the desired part in thedisplay portion of the structure and “click” a mouse button (or otherinput device) to “select” the desired heather option. This selectionaction may cause the interface to display a listing of availablepre-defined heather options that may be applied to the correspondingknit structure. A user's ability to create or modify a heather patternmay be limited by the structural and physical limitations of anavailable knitting machine utilized for manufacturing the article offootwear (or other product).

As yet another example, a user may have the option of adding ormodifying knit structures for a footwear design. A user may modify a“zone” of the footwear design associated with a particular knitstructure by using the pointer to “select” the knit structure. Onceselected, the user may change the position of the knit structure withrespect to grayscale 205 by “dragging” the knit structure to a desiredposition along grayscale 205. As will be discussed in further detailwith reference to FIGS. 2B-2D, each color reference along grayscale 205may indicate where the different knit structures correspond to specific“zones” (or areas) on a rendering or mapping of the base footweardesign. After the knit structure is placed in a new position alonggrayscale 205, display portion 201 and display portion 202 of interface200 may reflect the change in knit structures and corresponding designproperties.

The portions of a user interface representing knit structures (e.g.,knit structures 220-223) may be positioned along a grayscale, such asgrayscale 205 in user interface 200. As will be appreciated, thegrayscale may provide a color reference corresponding to the variouszones on an image of the base footwear design. For example, asillustrated in portions 201 and 202, the user interface 200 may depict arendered image of the base footwear design that includes a grayscalemapping based on the positions of knit structures 220-23 along grayscale205. As illustrated by elements 230-33, one or more color references onthe grayscale (e.g., “darker grey,” “dark grey,” “grey,” “light grey,”etc.) may correspond to specific zones on (or portions of) the renderedimage of the base footwear design, and as will be explained in moredetail below, a knit structure may be associated with one or moreparticular zones on the base footwear design. Each knit structureassigned to a zone(s) of the base footwear design may have its ownunique pattern, heathering, coloring, and other characteristics.

In some aspects of the present disclosure, by positioning a knitstructure adjacent to (or in alignment with) a particular colorreference on grayscale 205, the zone (or area) of the base footweardesign associated with that color reference may adopt the designproperties (e.g., color, heather, etc.) of said knit structure. Forexample, as illustrated in FIG. 2A, the “darker grey” reference ofgrayscale 205 is located toward the leftmost portion of the grayscale.Additionally, various zones of a footwear design may be illustrated inportions 201 and 202 of user interface 200.

For example, the darker grey reference of grayscale 205 may beassociated with a first knit structure and further indicate (orcorrespond to) a first zone of the footwear design depicted in portion201. In this example, as depicted by element 209 in FIG. 2A, the firstzone of the footwear design is illustrated by the darker grey portionsof the footwear design. The first knit structure adjacent to (or inalignment with) the darker grey reference of grayscale 205 may cause thefirst zone of the footwear design to inherit the features, properties,and/or characteristics of the first knit structure. Similarly,positioning a second knit structure adjacent to (or in alignment with)the darker grey reference of grayscale 205 may cause the first zone ofthe footwear design to inherit the features, properties, and/orcharacteristics of the second knit structure.

As another example, the dark grey reference of grayscale 205 may beassociated with a knit structure and further indicate (or correspond to)a second zone of the footwear design, as depicted by element 208 in FIG.2A. Additionally, a grey reference of grayscale 205 may be associatedwith a knit structure and further indicate a third zone of the footweardesign, as depicted by element 206; and a light grey reference ofgrayscale 205 may be associated with a knit structure and furtherindicate a fourth zone of the footwear design, as depicted by element207.

FIGS. 2B-2E illustrate additional example views of 2D and 3D images of abase footwear design that may appear in user interface 200. FIG. 2Billustrates an exemplary rendering of an image showing a “lay-flat” 2Dview of the base footwear design. This exemplary 2D view of the basefootwear design (e.g., element 229) may be shown in display portion 202of user interface 200. As will be appreciated, the lay-flat 2D viewprovides a graphical representation of the knit material correspondingto the base footwear design. FIG. 2C depicts an exemplary interfacescreen (e.g., interface screen 239) displaying a 3D view of a basefootwear design. This exemplary 3D view of the base footwear design maybe shown in display portion 201 of user interface 200. In some aspectsof the present disclosure, the 3D view of the footwear design mayinclude a color-coded mapping of the various zones of the footweardesign.

As noted above, a base footwear design may be represented by variouszones that may correspond to different knit structures for the articleof footwear to be manufactured. For example, the base footwear designdepicted in FIG. 2C includes at least 4 different zones, each havingparticular design properties and/or characteristics, and beingrepresented by a different color in the user interface to distinguishthe various zones. In the example shown in FIG. 2C, a first zone(corresponding to element 233) is represented by the color red; a secondzone (corresponding to element 232) is represented by the color yellow,a third zone (corresponding to element 231) is represented by the colorteal, and a fourth zone (corresponding to element 230) is represented bythe color purple. FIG. 2C further depicts a fifth zone in the basefootwear design (corresponding to element 235), which is represented bythe color blue.

Referring back to FIG. 2 a, knit structure 223 is positioned adjacent to(or in alignment with) the darker grey color reference on grayscale 205.As such, knit structure 223 and its corresponding design properties(e.g., color, heather, etc.) may be associated with a corresponding zone(e.g., the first zone) of the base footwear design. In some embodiments,an image or rendering of the footwear design may be dynamically updatedto reflect user design, such as changes to the knit structure of thefootwear design.

FIG. 2D depicts a rendered image of the base footwear design that may bedisplayed in a portion of user interface 200. The rendered image of thefootwear design that includes a mapping of the knit structures displayedin user interface 200 (e.g., knit structures 220-23). In some aspects ofthe present disclosure, the rendering of the footwear design may bedynamically updated to reflect user design changes, such as changes toknit structures for the footwear design.

Referring now to FIGS. 2C, the first zone of the base footwear designdepicted by element 233 may be associated with a particular knitstructure, and may be rendered into a 3D graphical representation of thearticle of footwear, as illustrated in FIG. 2D. When a knit structure,such as knit structure 223 is positioned adjacent to a particular colorreference on grayscale 205 corresponding to the first zone, the knitstructure and its corresponding design properties may be associated withthe first zone of the base footwear design, and subsequently rendered ina portion of user interface 200. In this particular example, knitstructure 223 would correspond to a knit structure having a firstheather pattern, and that includes various colors and shades knitmaterial, such as yellow and green knit materials, as illustrated inFIG. 2D. As depicted by element 233, those portions of the base footweardesign corresponding to the first zone in FIG. 2C, are illustrated inFIG. 2D as being associated with the particular knit structure havingthe first heather pattern and various shades of yellow and green knitmaterials in accordance with knit structure 223. As discussed above andas discussed in more detail below, the characteristics and/or propertiesof a knit structure, such as knit structure 223, may be adjusted ormodified in a variety of ways by the user. Additionally oralternatively, the user may associate a second knit structure with thefirst zone of the footwear design. Further, the user interface mayvisually modify a graphical representation of the design, such as therendering depicted in FIG. 2D, to reflect any changes and/ormodifications made to one or more knit structures.

Referring to the example above, as illustrated in FIG. 2C, element 232depicts a second zone of the footwear design and is represented by thecolor yellow on the rendered image of the base footwear design.Referring back to FIG. 2 a, knit structure 222 may be positionedadjacent to a particular color reference on grayscale 205 correspondingto the second zone of the footwear design (e.g., element 232).Accordingly, knit structure 222 and its corresponding design properties(e.g., color, heather, etc.) may be associated with the second zone ofthe footwear design. As an example, referring to FIGS. 2C and 2D, thesecond zone of the base footwear design may be associated with knitstructure 222 in view of the knit structures placement along grayscale205 and the grayscale mapping of zones for the footwear design, asdescribed above with reference to portion 201 of user interface 200.Knit structure 222 corresponds to a knit structure having a secondheather pattern (e.g., horizontal stripes), and that includes variousshades or colors of knit materials (e.g., yellow, blue, and green knitmaterials), as illustrated in FIG. 2D. As depicted by element 232, thoseportions of the footwear design corresponding to the second zone in FIG.2C, may be rendered to include the characteristics associated with knitstructure 222 (e.g., the second heather pattern and various shades ofyellow, blue, and green knit materials).

Referring to the example above, as illustrated in FIG. 2C, element 231depicts a third zone of the footwear design and is represented by thecolor teal on the rendered image of the base footwear design. Referringback to FIG. 2 a, knit structure 221 may be positioned adjacent to aparticular color reference on grayscale 205 corresponding to the thirdzone of the footwear design (e.g., element 231). Accordingly, knitstructure 221 and its corresponding design properties (e.g., color,heather, etc.) may be associated with the third zone of the footweardesign. As an example, referring to FIGS. 2C and 2D, the third zone ofthe base footwear design may be associated with knit structure 221 inview of the knit structures placement along grayscale 205 and thegrayscale mapping of zones for the footwear design, as described abovewith reference to portion 201. Knit structure 221 corresponds to a knitstructure having a third heather pattern, and that includes variousshades knit materials (e.g., green knit materials), as illustrated inFIG. 2D. As depicted by element 231, those portions of the footweardesign corresponding to the second zone in FIG. 2C, may be rendered toinclude the characteristics associated with knit structure 221 (e.g.,the third heather pattern and various shades of green knit materials).

Lastly, as illustrated in FIG. 2C, element 230 depicts a fourth zone ofthe footwear design is represented by the color purple on the renderedimage of the base footwear design. Referring back to FIG. 2 a, knitstructure 220 may be positioned adjacent to a particular color referenceon grayscale 205 corresponding to the fourth zone of the footwear design(e.g., element 230). Accordingly, knit structure 220 and itscorresponding design properties (e.g., color, heather, etc.) may beassociated with the fourth zone of the footwear design. As an example,referring to FIGS. 2C and 2D, the fourth zone of the base footweardesign may be associated with knit structure 220 in view of the knitstructures placement along grayscale 205 and the grayscale mapping ofzones for the footwear design, as described above with reference toportion 201. Accordingly, knit structure 220 and its correspondingdesign properties may be associated with the fourth zone of the basefootwear design. In this particular example, knit structure 220 wouldcorrespond to a knit structure having a fourth heather pattern, and thatincludes various shades of green and blue knit materials, as illustratedin FIG. 2D. As depicted by element 230, those portions of the basefootwear design corresponding to the fourth zone in FIG. 2C, may berendered to include the characteristics associated with knit structure220 (e.g., the fourth heather pattern and consists of various shades ofgreen and blue knit materials).

FIG. 2E depicts an example interface screen 259 that shows a 3Dgraphical representation of the base footwear design in portion 257 ofthe interface screen. The 3 d graphical representation of the basefootwear design includes a color and texture mapping of the variouszones of the base footwear design based on the design properties (e.g.,color, heather, etc.) of a plurality of corresponding knit structures.In this illustrated example, the base footwear design includes at least7 zones, each represented by a knit structure having different designproperties, as illustrated by elements 250-257. A user may interact withinterface screen 259 to modify the design properties of the one or moreknit structures (corresponding to elements 250-257) that comprise thebase footwear design. In some aspects of the present disclosure, theuser may modify the design characteristics for one or more zones of thebase footwear design by modifying the location of a knit structure inportion 258 of interface screen 259. When a user changes the position ofthe one or more knit structures in portion 258 of the interface screen,the rendered design properties of the various zones of the base footweardesign illustrated in portion 25 of the interface screen may be updatedto reflect the change in design properties. As will be appreciated, theposition of knit structures need not be in reference to a grayscale, butmay be referenced with respect to various other scales or positionswithin a portion of the interface screen that may indicate (or areassociated with) one or more zones (or areas) of the footwear design.

FIG. 2F depicts a user interface 260 for selecting various color values(e.g., color options) to assign a knit structure. As noted above, one ormore color values may be assigned to a particular knit structure thatmay be associated with a zone of a footwear design. As illustrated inFIG. 2F, a first color (corresponding to element 261) and a second color(corresponding to element 262) have been assigned to a knit structure.The first color and second color may correspond to RGB, CMYK, or othersuitable color values, respectively. Display portion 263 of the userinterface illustrates a graphical rendering of an image representing theselected knit structure and its corresponding design properties,including color and heather. As a user modifies the first and secondcolor values of the knit structure, display portion 263 of the interfacescreen may be dynamically updated to reflect that changes (and/orreceived user input).

In some aspects of the present disclosure, a user interface may providethe user with tools to generate a color option that comprises multiplecolors. For example, referring to FIG. 2F, secondary colors 265 and 266may be combined to generate a new color that can be assigned to the knitstructure. Subsequently, display portion 263 of the user interfacerenders a new image representing the selected knit structure and itscorresponding design properties, including the new color values.

Other features and functionality may be provided in the interface, ifdesired, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Thefollowing features and functionality may be provided in some manner viathe interface: the ability to save the design, the ability to print thedesign, the ability to store this design at a location for sharing withothers (which may launch an interface that allows one to identifyspecific persons, classes of persons, or groups (public or private) withwhom the design may be shared), the ability to “return to the default”design (e.g., to the blank product on which the customization processwas initiated for this product or some other intermediate default design(optionally selected and stored by the user)), and the ability to exitor quit the design session.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example interface for modifying a footwear imagein accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure. Asnoted above, user design choices may be constrained based on a number offactors, including structural rules, cost to manufacture, time tomanufacture, and the availability or supply of materials.

User interface 300 includes a knitting machine image 335, a palette ofcolor references 310, one or more color vectors (e.g., vector 315),portions of the interface representing knit structures (e.g., knitstructure 320), and a display portion 301 illustrating renderings of thefootwear design. User interface 300 may display animations illustratingthe various design choices and selections made by a user during thedesign process. As will be appreciated, the components of user interface300 may include the same or similar features and functions ofcorresponding components in interface 200. For example, color referencepalette 310 may include the same or similar features and/or functions ascolor palette 210. For instance, while not show in FIG. 3, colorreference 311 may include a drop down menu to provide a list ofavailable color values. By selecting or hovering a pointer (e.g., mousepointer) over an interface component, such as color reference 311 orknit structure 320, user interface 300 may display additionalinformation associated with that component.

As another example, knit structure 320 may include may include the sameor similar features and/or functions as knit structure 220. Forinstance, while not show in FIG. 3, knit structure 320 may include adisplay of a texture image (e.g., material swatch) associated with theknit structure, or may include an icon permitting the user to modify theheather associated with the knit structure. Similar to user interface200, a user may draw a color vector 315 in user interface 300 toassociate (or assign) a color value to a particular knit structure.After the color vector has been drawn or modified, user interface 300may graphically illustrate a material, (such as yarn from the one ormore spools associated with the selected color value) being arranged inone or more portions of knitting machine image 335, as illustrated byelement 336.

As yet another example, the display portion 301 may include the same orsimilar features and functions of display portion 201 and displayportion 202. Display portion 301 may depict a graphical representation(or rendering) of the footwear upper in accordance with the user'sfootwear design.

Knitting machine image 335 in user interface 300 may serve as a graphicrepresentation of a knitting machine (e.g., knitting machine 135) usedto manufacture footwear uppers (e.g., upper 140). Material, such asmaterial 130, used by knitting machine 135 to manufacture footwear upper140 may be graphically represented in knitting machine image 335. Forexample, as illustrated by element 310, each color or color referenceselected by a user may be graphically represented by one or more spoolsof yarn (or some other material) in knitting machine image 335.

As the user selects and/or modifies various design choices, thesechoices may be reflected (e.g., graphically represented or simulated) inknitting machine image 335. For example, changes made to the color valueof color reference 310 may be reflected in knitting machine image 335 bychanging the color of one or more spools of yarn to correspond to thenew color value. As another example, the number of colors that may beused for a particular footwear design may be graphically represented bythe number of spools in knitting machine image 335. In this example, anempty spool may represent an undefined or available color reference thatmay be added to the color palette.

As will be appreciated, the user's design choices may be limited basedon limitations associated with the footwear design, such as availabilityof materials, structural rules, and physical limitations of a knittingmachine. For example, due to limitations in the supply of certainmaterials used to manufacture a footwear upper, a user may be providedwith a limited number of color choices that correspond to theavailability or supply of those materials (e.g., yarn). Thus, when userselects color reference 311, the user may be provided with a listing ofcolor options that correspond to the materials that are currently insupply. As another example, due to the structural or physicallimitations of a knitting machine, a user may be limited in the numberof color options that may be assigned to a particular knit structure.For instance, if a knitting machine, such as knitting machine 135, has apredetermined number of “feeders,” a user may be limited to the numberof color combinations or the number of colors that may be assigned toknit structures based on the number of feeders in the knit machine.

FIG. 4 illustrates a method of designing footwear, in accordance withone or more aspects of the present disclosure. The steps identified inFIG. 4 may be performed with a system such as the system shown inFIG. 1. First, in step 402 a data file corresponding to a base footweardesign may be received by the system. The data file may identify variousvisual and physical attributes (e.g., features) associated with the basefootwear design. In some embodiments, a user may select a base footweardesign from a plurality of base footwear designs stored by the system.Next, in step 404, the system may retrieve one or more designcharacteristics associated with the footwear design received during step402. The design characteristics for the footwear design may be retrievedfrom a variety of sources, such as grading library 113, lasts library112, color library 111, etc. In some embodiments, the base footweardesign may be edited or modified by a user. The system may store inmemory the edited footwear design.

Next, in step 406 the system may receive design input assigning one ormore knit structures to a footwear design. A user may identify, via auser interface (e.g., UI 115), one or more knit structures to beassociated with (e.g., mapped to) particular zones (or areas) of thefootwear design. The knit structures include design properties thatrepresent the various materials (e.g., yarn construction) that providetexture and other visually perceptible attributes associated with thefootwear design.

Next, in step 408 the system may receive design input adjusting one ormore design properties for the one or more knit structures assigned tothe footwear design during step 406. In some embodiments, during step408, color values and heather patterns may be retrieved from a colorlibrary and heather library, respectively. The color values and heathersmay be assigned to the one or more knit structures assigned to thefootwear design during step 406. In step 410, the system may determinewhether the design input received during step 408 is acceptable. Duringstep 410, the system may extract various data associated with thefootwear design and compare this data to information collected and/orstored by the system (e.g., structural evaluation module 105, bill ofmaterials module 106, cost estimation module 107, time estimation module108, etc.). For example, the system may determine whether the variousknit materials selected for the footwear design are currently availablein inventory. In this example, the system may compare the dataindicating the knit structure and materials selected for the footweardesign with data stored in bill of materials module 106 to make thedetermination. As another example, the system may determine whether thedesign changes and associated knit structures selected for the footweardesign conform with the structural rules (and/or characteristics)assigned to the footwear design. In this example, the system may comparethe data indicating the knit structure for the footwear design with datastored in structural evaluation module 105 to make the determination. Asyet another example, the system may determine whether a design change(e.g., a change in size of the footwear) for the footwear designconforms with grading rules (and/or characteristics) assigned to thefootwear design. In this example, the system may compare the dataindicating a modification to the footwear design (and/or a knitstructure therein) with data stored in grading module 104 to make such adetermination.

In some aspects of the present disclosure, during step 410, the systemmay use a similarity metric when comparing the footwear design data todata stored by the system (e.g., structural evaluation module 105, billof materials module 106, cost estimation module 107, time estimationmodule 108, etc.). If the footwear design data does not sufficientlymeet the requirements and/or characteristics associated with the datastored by the system, the system may determine that the design changemay not be accepted (e.g., the article of footwear cannot bemanufactured based on the current footwear design).

If the system determines that the design change analyzed during step 410is not acceptable, the method may proceed to step 412, where the systemmay prompt the user to correct or modify the unacceptable design change.In some embodiments, the system may identify the particular designchange that is unacceptable and provide the user additional informationregarding the design change. In other embodiments, data stored by thesystem (e.g., data stored in structural evaluation module 105, bill ofmaterials module 106, cost estimation module 107, time estimation module108, etc.) may be further processed by the system to recommend and/orsuggest one or more design changes to the footwear design, such that thefootwear design may be subsequently accepted by the system. Next themethod returns to step 408, where the system may receive design inputadjusting one or more design properties for the one or more knitstructures assigned to the footwear design.

If the system determines that the design change analyzed during step 410is acceptable, the method may proceed to step 414, where the system mayapply the design input received during step 408 to the footwear design.

Finally, in step 416 the system may render an image of the footweardesign. The rendered image may include simulated knit texture and colorsin accordance with the various design characteristics and properties ofthe footwear design. In some embodiments, step 416 may be performed byan image editing application and the process may be controlled by ascript. In other embodiments, steps 414 and 416 may be combined orperformed simultaneously. The image rendering step may utilize a varietyof existing and conventional image processing tools.

While the present disclosure have been described with respect tospecific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying outaspects of the present disclosure, those skilled in the art willappreciate that numerous variations and permutations of the abovedescribed systems and techniques may be made without departing from thepresent disclosure. For example, the systems, methods, and/or userinterfaces may include more, less, and/or different functionality fromthat described above, and the various features of the systems, methods,and/or user interfaces may be activated or interacted with in variousdifferent manners (e.g., using different types of interface elements)from those described above. Also the various process steps may bechanged, changed in order, some omitted, and/or include additional stepsor features without departing from the present disclosure. Variouschanges and modifications to the systems, methods, and user interfacesmay be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure, as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: receiving input dataindicating selection of a design for a knit footwear upper; generating,by a processor, a graphical representation of the knit footwear upper ina first interface; receiving design input for the knit footwear upper;and visually updating an appearance of the knit footwear upper based onthe received design input.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein receivinginput data indicating selection of the design for the knit footwearupper, further comprises: identifying a footwear last associated withthe selected design.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:limiting a number of available design choices in accordance with aplurality of predetermined structural integrity characteristicsassociated with the selected design.
 4. The method of claim 3, whereinreceiving design input for the knit footwear upper, further comprises:determining that the received design input does not meet at least onestructural integrity characteristic associated with the selected design.5. The method of claim 3, further comprising: generating one or moredesign modifications configured to place the selected design inconformity with the at least one structural integrity characteristic. 6.The method of claim 1, wherein receiving design input for the knitfootwear upper, further comprises: receiving design input assigning afirst knit structure to the selected design.
 7. The method of claim 6,wherein receiving design input for the knit footwear upper, furthercomprises: receiving design input modifying a heather pattern associatedwith the first knit structure.
 8. The method of claim 6, furthercomprising: applying a plurality of design characteristics associatedwith the first knit structure to a first zone of the selected design. 9.The method of claim 8, further comprising: moving the first knitstructure from a first location in the first interface to a secondlocation in the first interface; and in response to the moving, applyingthe plurality of design characteristics associated with the first knitstructure to a second zone of the selected design.
 10. The method ofclaim 9, wherein the second location in the first interface isassociated with a grayscale configured to map knit structures to variouszones of the selected design.
 11. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: displaying, in a sub-interface, an estimated amount of timeto manufacture the knit footwear upper based on the selected design. 12.A non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions that, whenexecuted, cause a computing device to: receive input data indicatingselection of a design for a knit footwear upper; generate, in a firstinterface, a graphical representation of the knit footwear upper;receive design input for the knit footwear upper; and visually update anappearance of the knit footwear upper based on the received designinput.
 13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12,wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computingdevice to: limit a number of available design choices in accordance witha plurality of predetermined structural integrity characteristicsassociated with the selected design.
 14. The non-transitory machinereadable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed,further cause the computing device to: determine whether the receiveddesign input meets at least one structural integrity characteristicassociated with the selected design.
 15. The non-transitory machinereadable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed,further cause the computing device to: associate a first knit structurewith the selected design.
 16. The non-transitory machine readable mediumof claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause thecomputing device to: modify one or more colors associated with the firstknit structure in response to receiving input data indicating anassignment of a new color vector to the first knit structure.
 17. Thenon-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12, wherein theappearance of the knit footwear upper comprises a two-dimensional flatimage.
 18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12,wherein the appearance of the knit footwear upper comprises athree-dimensional image.
 19. An apparatus comprising: a processor; andmemory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:receive input data indicating selection of a design for a knit footwearupper; generate, in a first interface, a graphical representation of theknit footwear upper; receive design input for a plurality of knitstructures associated with the selected design; for each knit structurein the plurality of knit structures: determine a zone of the selecteddesign associated with the knit structure; and apply a plurality ofdesign characteristics associated the knit structure to thecorresponding zone of the selected design; and visually update anappearance of the knit footwear upper based on the received designinput.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the instructions, whenexecuted, further cause the apparatus to: modify the appearance of theknit footwear upper based on a location of the plurality of knitstructures in the first interface.